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We all know what the wrecking balls of a second Obama term will be: widespread unemployment, stagnant economic growth, enormous debt. But the consequences don't stop there.

Believing in activist government means your work is never finished. You pass a new law that you think combats injustice and inefficiency. Then human nature kicks in and, with great disapprobation, you discover that injustice and inefficiency still exist. So you pass another law, then another. And with no Mitt Romney there to stop you, the Circle of Regulatory Life continues.

With Barack Obama back in power, all the laws and rules from his first term will stand. But regulations aren't just text; they have very real (and often unintended) consequences.

How will the president's societal tinkering affect our lives over the next four years? From the shocking to the quirky to the bizarre, here are some of the things you might have missed:

More expensive cars
The president's new rule on vehicle emissions standards requires automakers to increase their fleet averages to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 and a whopping 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. The National Automobile Dealers Association calculates that this will drive up the price of the average car or light truck by $3,000. Seven million potential consumers will pass on buying a vehicle thanks to the added cost.

Fewer stethoscopes
One of the deadliest heads on the Obamacare hydra is the medical devices tax, which takes effect next year. The tax amounts to 2.3% on the sale of every device, the equivalent of a 15% tax on profits. It's a sledgehammer to some of America's most innovative companies, and the companies are responding accordingly, laying off workers and moving plants overseas. Research and development of new devices, many of them life-saving, are expected to take a hit. A recent report by Pricewaterhousecoopers found that investments in the medical device and equipment sector are at their lowest level since 2004.

Less access to special needs education
This one might sound like demagoguery, but bear with me. Obamacare, for the first time, imposes a limit on Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) in the amount of $2,500. FSAs allow for pre-tax deductions into a separate account which the owner can spend on health care throughout the year. FSAs are popular with parents of special-needs children because the money can be used on tuition for private schools that accommodate the disabled. But $2,500 is nowhere near enough to pay that bill. It's an effective tax increase on some of the country's most vulnerable children.

So long, free checking accounts
Back in 2010 when Chris Dodd and Barney Frank were working out how to save the poor from villainous bank tycoons, one of the most popular ideas was a limit on debit card transaction fees. This was eventually codified in the Dodd-Frank law's Durbin Amendment. Banks had to make up the money from the fee restrictions somehow and free checking accounts ended up on the chopping block. In 2009, 96% of big banks offered free checking. By 2011, only 35% of them did.

More children in apartment complexes
If you're ever looking for a good laugh (or cry), head on over to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division website. Helmed by Eric Holder's hyper-litigious Savior of the Universe Thomas Perez, the CRD is constantly crowing about their latest legal triumph over a schoolyard bully or transgender-unfriendly bathroom.

One of their finest moments came when they settled a lawsuit against the owner of a small apartment complex in South Carolina. The landlord took out ads on Yahoo! and the Yellow Pages website touting an age-21-and-up policy. That was all Perez needed to allege discrimination and bring the full power of the federal government to bear against a sixteen-unit apartment building. For the crime of trying to create a mature living atmosphere, the owner was fined $25,000. With Obama sticking around, expect Perez to maintain vigilance against landlords trying to exercise their property rights.

More pregnant prison guards
Another gem from the Civil Rights Division came in 2009 when an Oklahoma sheriff was caught requiring pregnant confinement officers to do deskwork until they had the baby. The DOJ caught wind of this and lawyers were seen parachuting into Bryan County the next day. The complaint was quickly settled; the pregnant women back guarding the jail.

More horses at restaurants
Federal law accommodates the use of guide dogs by the blind, but not the use of horses. This oversight was remedied by a new Justice Department regulation that requires shops and restaurants to admit miniature horses. The micro-mustangs must be accompanied by a blind or disabled person. They also must be housebroken, which many business owners claim is impossible, presenting their soiled floors as proof. But no matter. This is about equality, dammit.

Easier miniature golf games
The worst holes on mini-golf courses are always the ones with the steep slopes. Fortunately the Justice Department is on the caseÖnot to make the game easier, but to accommodate the disabled. As of 2010, at least half of all mini-golf holes must be "48 inches minimum by 60 inches minimum with slopes not steeper than 1:48 at the start of play." Another non-problem solved.

Drier urinals
When you flush a urinal, you're putting America one step closer to a water crisis. That's according to the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles (or ECPCPOTA for short), which is recommending new efficiency standards for urinals, along with faucets, showerheads, and water closets.

No more Roll Your Own tobacco
One of the smoking trends to arise in recent years was Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco. Customers would purchase the tobacco and insert it into cigarettes sold in a machine in the same store. But thanks to a provision snuck into this year's transportation bill, RYO tobacco is now taxed at the same steep rate as cigarettes. This makes it impossible for most RYO stores to survive. "[The law is] designed to put these people out of business," Phil Acordino, president of RYO Machines, told the Huffington Post.

This might be an unfair addition to this list since there's no evidence Mitt Romney would have sided with smokers either. But it shows just how cavalier the president is about destroying an entire industry with regulation.

It's going to be a long four years. You know, a smoke would probably help right now. Especially one at a horse-free restaurant.

More expensive cars
The president's new rule on vehicle emissions standards requires automakers to increase their fleet averages to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 and a whopping 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. The National Automobile Dealers Association calculates that this will drive up the price of the average car or light truck by $3,000.

The price of a Volkswagen Beetle has increased $404 per year for the last 44 years (of course it's a lot nicer/safer car now). So I could reasonably expect it to increase $5252 more by 2025. Assuming I wanted one, only paying $3000 more than present would be a savings of $2252. The sky is falling.

Originally Posted by Rockntractor

Seven million potential consumers will pass on buying a vehicle thanks to the added cost.

No they won't. The average care buyer has a bleep-mentality when it comes to buying cars. $3000 is $58/month on a five year loan and they will pay it. I, on the other hand, will walk in with research and cash and refuse to pay a nickel more than I have in my hand, and I will get the car for less.

Originally Posted by Rockntractor

By Matt Purple on 11.9.12 @ 6:08AM

Fewer stethoscopes
One of the deadliest heads on the Obamacare hydra is the medical devices tax, which takes effect next year. The tax amounts to 2.3% on the sale of every device, the equivalent of a 15% tax on profits. It's a sledgehammer to some of America's most innovative companies, and the companies are responding accordingly, laying off workers and moving plants overseas. Research and development of new devices, many of them life-saving, are expected to take a hit. A recent report by Pricewaterhousecoopers found that investments in the medical device and equipment sector are at their lowest level since 2004.

Real simple- Don't buy shit you don't need. My doctor recently installed automatic blood pressure units in his exam rooms. These machines are awful. They are uncomfortable, unreliable, expensive, and do not save time. If a nurse takes your blood pressure and it's odd, she dos it again. I was connected to an automatic BP machine in the ICU summer before last. The numbers were all over the place.

Originally Posted by Rockntractor

By Matt Purple on 11.9.12 @ 6:08AM

Less access to special needs education
This one might sound like demagoguery, but bear with me. Obamacare, for the first time, imposes a limit on Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) in the amount of $2,500. FSAs allow for pre-tax deductions into a separate account which the owner can spend on health care throughout the year. FSAs are popular with parents of special-needs children because the money can be used on tuition for private schools that accommodate the disabled. But $2,500 is nowhere near enough to pay that bill. It's an effective tax increase on some of the country's most vulnerable children.

The insinuation here is that only private schools accommodate the disabled. Were that that were the case, I would say that there was no better case for vouchers than what generally amounts to educational daycare. However, this is a shibboleth, since it's really the same choice that everyone else makes : public school if you can't or won't pay for private school private school if you can or will pay for it. The fact that your child is disabled might make it more compelling, but it's really not any different than any other parent's choice. Work towards vouchers and this won't be an issue.

Originally Posted by Rockntractor

So long, free checking accounts
Back in 2010 when Chris Dodd and Barney Frank were working out how to save the poor from villainous bank tycoons, one of the most popular ideas was a limit on debit card transaction fees. This was eventually codified in the Dodd-Frank law's Durbin Amendment. Banks had to make up the money from the fee restrictions somehow and free checking accounts ended up on the chopping block. In 2009, 96% of big banks offered free checking. By 2011, only 35% of them did.

Pure unadulterated bullshit.
Banks have been charging for checking as long as I have been alive. They used to charge ten cents a check when I was a kid. ON a straight minwage comparison, that would be over 50Ę per check now and truthfully if they want to charge that, I would pay it since I only write two physical checks a month.
Banks have been trying to charge a monthly fee for a long time as well. When we moved to Florida we were surprised that Barnett Bank and Amsouth and every other bank were trying to get a $9/month checking fee. To avoid the checking fee, you had to maintain a minimum balance which wasn't a problem for us, but I am surprised that this wasn't raised at protest by folks claiming (probably rightly) that the banks were trying to exclude poor and disproportionately minority banking customers.
Of course, this kind of crap gave rise to Amscot and Walmart pseudo-banking which inarguably fill a need.

Originally Posted by Rockntractor

More children in apartment complexes
If you're ever looking for a good laugh (or cry), head on over to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division website. Helmed by Eric Holder's hyper-litigious Savior of the Universe Thomas Perez, the CRD is constantly crowing about their latest legal triumph over a schoolyard bully or transgender-unfriendly bathroom.

One of their finest moments came when they settled a lawsuit against the owner of a small apartment complex in South Carolina. The landlord took out ads on Yahoo! and the Yellow Pages website touting an age-21-and-up policy. That was all Perez needed to allege discrimination and bring the full power of the federal government to bear against a sixteen-unit apartment building. For the crime of trying to create a mature living atmosphere, the owner was fined $25,000. With Obama sticking around, expect Perez to maintain vigilance against landlords trying to exercise their property rights. [/IMG]

Don't you people ever get tired of buying into bullshit?

The laws and definitions of what is and isn't an adults only complex have been around since the 1980's and have been continuously litigated. Fair Housing laws define in which ways you can and cannot discriminate against people on the basis of age and family status. To be a senior housing complex, you can't simply say, "No one under 55" you have to be more dedicated to senior living than that. You have to have special accommodations for the elderly and handicapped and you have to enforce the rule to a standard not arbitrarily.

Adults only housing was effectively outlawed when Ronald Reagan signed the amendments to the Fair Housing act.

More pregnant prison guards
Another gem from the Civil Rights Division came in 2009 when an Oklahoma sheriff was caught requiring pregnant confinement officers to do deskwork until they had the baby. The DOJ caught wind of this and lawyers were seen parachuting into Bryan County the next day. The complaint was quickly settled; the pregnant women back guarding the jail.

This makes no sense. Pregnant women are effectively handicapped in certain occupations, and as such the employer is required to make a reasonable accommodation only. There is no law which says that they must be allowed to continue in hazardous duty, albeit there certainly is a law or principle that they cannot have their careers penalized for the time them are on light duty.

I understand the legal position that this decision is not the employer's decision, it's the decision of the pregnant woman with advice from her doctor or shaman. However, this same woman is likely to file a lawsuit saying that she wasn't properly protected and frankly how can you properly protect a pregnant woman from being slimed (or whatever they call it) with disease carrying human waste throw through prison bars?

This needs to be properly addressed. You can't make an employer vulnerable and not allow him to mitigate risk. In this case, the state.

Originally Posted by Rockntractor

More horses at restaurants
Federal law accommodates the use of guide dogs by the blind, but not the use of horses. This oversight was remedied by a new Justice Department regulation that requires shops and restaurants to admit miniature horses. The micro-mustangs must be accompanied by a blind or disabled person. They also must be housebroken, which many business owners claim is impossible, presenting their soiled floors as proof. But no matter. This is about equality, dammit.

Seriously? This is part of the end of the world? Who knew? BTW, there are an estimated (per the video) half a dozen people in the US using guide-horses.

No more Roll Your Own tobacco
One of the smoking trends to arise in recent years was Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco. Customers would purchase the tobacco and insert it into cigarettes sold in a machine in the same store. But thanks to a provision snuck into this year's transportation bill, RYO tobacco is now taxed at the same steep rate as cigarettes. This makes it impossible for most RYO stores to survive. "[The law is] designed to put these people out of business," Phil Acordino, president of RYO Machines, told the Huffington Post.

This might be an unfair addition to this list since there's no evidence Mitt Romney would have sided with smokers either. But it shows just how cavalier the president is about destroying an entire industry with regulation.

The smoking industry should be destroyed. But it should de done honestly. Pass a law banning cigarettes, smoking, growing, sale, importation, etc... It's a disgusting habit that is costing this country a fortune in cleaning costs, health care, time theft, and is absolutely unnecessary. Spare me the excuses, I have not only heard all of them, I have said all of them before I quit smoking. God save you from a convert.

This makes no sense. Pregnant women are effectively handicapped in certain occupations, and as such the employer is required to make a reasonable accommodation only. There is no law which says that they must be allowed to continue in hazardous duty, albeit there certainly is a law or principle that they cannot have their careers penalized for the time them are on light duty.

I understand the legal position that this decision is not the employer's decision, it's the decision of the pregnant woman with advice from her doctor or shaman. However, this same woman is likely to file a lawsuit saying that she wasn't properly protected and frankly how can you properly protect a pregnant woman from being slimed (or whatever they call it) with disease carrying human waste throw through prison bars?

This needs to be properly addressed. You can't make an employer vulnerable and not allow him to mitigate risk. In this case, the state.

Seriously? This is part of the end of the world? Who knew? BTW, there are an estimated (per the video) half a dozen people in the US using guide-horses.

The difference between pigs and people is that when they tell you you're cured it isn't a good thing.

The smoking industry should be destroyed. But it should de done honestly. Pass a law banning cigarettes, smoking, growing, sale, importation, etc... It's a disgusting habit that is costing this country a fortune in cleaning costs, health care, time theft, and is absolutely unnecessary. Spare me the excuses, I have not only heard all of them, I have said all of them before I quit smoking. God save you from a convert.

The gay industry should be destroyed. But it should de done honestly. Pass a law banning faggots, truck stop bathrooms, city parks, bath houses, LA Fitness, etc... It's a disgusting habit that is costing this country a fortune in cleaning costs, health care, time theft, and is absolutely unnecessary.

"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that you won't need it until they try to take it away."---Thomas Jefferson

The gay industry should be destroyed. But it should de done honestly. Pass a law banning faggots, truck stop bathrooms, city parks, bath houses, LA Fitness, etc... It's a disgusting habit that is costing this country a fortune in cleaning costs, health care, time theft, and is absolutely unnecessary.

Tobacco is inherently unhealthy. Sex is not. One can practice sex with no health consequences, one cannot smoke with no health consequences.

As for your hilarious attack on gay people as a group, consider that in every town of some size there is a seedy heterosexual trade in sex. Diseased whores work the internet, bars, and streets and heterosexual men of all walks of life have sex in parks, cars, alleys, motels, and even truck stops as hard as that is to imagine. Let me know if you ever see two lesbians having sex in a car outside the Jack and Jill Book Store and Massage Parlor.

Tobacco is inherently unhealthy. Sex is not. One can practice sex with no health consequences, one cannot smoke with no health consequences.

As for your hilarious attack on gay people as a group, consider that in every town of some size there is a seedy heterosexual trade in sex. Diseased whores work the internet, bars, and streets and heterosexual men of all walks of life have sex in parks, cars, alleys, motels, and even truck stops as hard as that is to imagine. Let me know if you ever see two lesbians having sex in a car outside the Jack and Jill Book Store and Massage Parlor.

Some heterosexuals live healthy lives, are you healthy? Seriously, your and Ampats "go for the anus" approach to debate is tiresome. You do it in a vacuum of context and balance, and you appear to think it's clever.

My actually objection to cigarettes smoking is the smell. I smoked for decades, and I didn't like the smell then either and worked myself to death cleaning and painting to keep the house from smelling like smoke. I do think it's sad when I see people who work for low wages waiting for the bus when they spend enough on cigarettes every month to buy and keep a car on the road. But that's their choice.